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Second Round of Trade Aid Payments Underway

Dan Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Economy, Pork, Wheat

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is moving forward on the second and final round of trade mitigation payments to farmers hurt from retaliation by America’s trading partners. Commodity producers are now eligible to receive market facilitation payments (MFP) on the second half of their 2018 production.

USDA has been sending out the first round of MFP payments to producers since September on the first 50 percent of their 2018 production. The MFP payments are designed for almond, cotton, corn, dairy, hog, sorghum, soybean, fresh sweet cherry and wheat producers. Producers are only required to register one time for both the first and second round of payments.

The MFP sign-up period runs through January 15, 2019, but producers actually have until May 1 to certify their 2018 production numbers. Farmers who have not done so can find sign-up information and instructions at www.farmers.gov/mfp. Eligible producers must wait until harvest is completely finished as payments are made based on 2018 total production.

Farmers who have already applied, completed harvest and certified their production will receive a second payment on 50 percent of their production, multiplied by the MFP rate for each commodity.

Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasters